Roger Clark, aka REX, Memorial Project

I wish to say up front about this post that there is a lot to say. I hope I can think of it all.I thought about providing links to all areas of subject I discuss and all Lumberjocks involved. I realized though that to do that, you may get to see this post by Christmas. So, if anyone has any specific questions, please ask, and I’ll try to provide any answers I can in the comments section.A lot of you knew our dear friend, Roger Clark, or REX as he was known to most of us. A lot of us on the Stumpy Nubs thread decided to get together a memorial project to be eventually sent to his family. After a lot of ideas were tossed around, the resulting project has a lot of symbolism to how some of us felt for Rex.The first two photos are of the complete project.The third photo is the Roger Clark emblem of his name done by Ted.The fourth photo is the REX emblem and the emblem at the very bottom that says, from your friends at Lumberjocks. These were done by JL7, Jeff. The fifth photo is the Union Jack, the flag from Rex’s birthplace, done by Matt.The last photo is the state of Texas, where Rex lived until his death, done by Gene.The frame is made using a single 2×4. If you go back to the beginning of the Stumpy thread, Rex was the very first to post there and the original post was about a tubafore contest. The pattern was designed by Knotcurser and sent to me to cut. The names placed around the frame are of the different Lumberjocks who we were able to round up to participate in this project. They were sent to me from all over the country to be placed on this project. The whole thing was cut, framed with a black background, and sealed with five coats of spray on laquer.

I want to stop right there and offer my deepest apologies if there is anyone who would have liked to be included in this and wasn’t. I hope you all can understand that we stuck with the members of our friendly little group of misfits on the Stumpy thread with only a very few select exceptions. To include anyone from all across Lumberjocks who was touched by Rex’s life would have been such an undertaking that it may have never gotten done in a timely manner.

Now for the rest of the story.It just so happens that all this came together around the same time that some of the same fine folks who were part of the memorial project were also in the midst of planning a crawfish boil in West Monroe, Lousiana. So it was decided that the project would be brought to the boil for fellow Lumberjocks who were there to see it in person. Also, if you look at the first photo of this post, we snapped some photos of all the Lumberjocks who attended the boil together with the memorial piece.

So that sums up the project. Now please allow me this opportunity to share photos of the Lumberjock 2014 Crawfish boil.The whole thing was held at Eddie’s place in Lousiana.That’s eddie with the beard. With him is Don Broussard, another Lumberjock.Eddie made a nice crawfish table for this event.Get out of there Don! You’re a cajun, not a crawfish.There’s the crawfish.Actually there was 209 pounds of crawfish cooked for the event, along with boudin, pork loin, a huge pork roast, potato salad, deserts, and that’s just what I seen before Gene and Gary got ahold to the food.Lumberjock Candy and her husband were there.See? It was like pulling hen’s teeth to get all the Lumberjocks in one place for photos. Here is Dave, Eddie, Jeff, the backside of Gene, David (Patron) Marty and Gary.Dave had the kids there help pull names out of a hat. We gave away lumber, logs, and other goodies.I won this absolutely stunning cutting board made by Jeff.Even when it came time for the Lumberjocks photo it was hard.My wife called at that exact moment needing directions to where we were at.Gene looks guilty. I’m not sure if he won that board or if he’s trying to steal it.I personally hate the show, but there was no way my family was going to allow me out of West Monroe without carrying them to this place.I can’t remember if it was Gary or Gene who brought the nifty little measuring sticks, but it sure will come in handy. I have several uses in mind.Eddie gave everyone a little wood peckers miniature square. I did not know they made squares this small. I’ve needed one of these for several years now. It’s going to make squaring my scroll saw blade easier.I didn’t realize just how much wood I’d gotten till I got back to the shop and unloaded the truck.Texas ebony, padauk, tigerwood, birdseye maple, bubinga, box elder, mimosa, mesquite, purpleheart, persimmon. and some long sticks of zebra wood.Psst! It’s a grinder.And one last shot of a man who will be forever missed. The memorial project sat over this whole event. The one’s who don’t drink poured coca-cola while the rest of us poured a little something stronger around dark thirty as we toasted Rex.

I want to take one last chance to thank each and every person who participated in this project. I wish to give a special thanks to Jeff and knotcurser. Without Knotcurser’s design ability and Jeff’s above and beyond help with this, I don’t know if it would have ever come together so smoothly. As for the boil, thank you all so much for the best time I’ve had in a long long time. It never ceases to amaze me the friendships I have formed with some of the people of Lumberjocks. Woodworkers. There are not a finer lot of people on this earth, and you people at the boil proved this to me once again. I will remember it always.

It was probably one of the best week-ends I’ve had in quite some time. Friday was wonderful with meeting everyone, swapping stuff, and eating. Saturday morning was a super time. Stories, jokes and lots of getting to know everyone. I really hated to see it end. The only thing missing was the folks that didn’t get to attend this year. I bet everyone shows up next year.Good job, William.BTW….it was Gene that brought the measuring devices… I brought wood and such

It was such a great way to honor a great friend and keep his memory alive. I didn’t know Rex, but you guys let me know that Rex would have wanted anyone from Stumpy’s thread to be included. That let me know what kind of man I had missed knowing and what kind people you all were. I want to come to the next boil even more now.

BTW, Jeff, that is a stunning cutting board! Are you kidding me?

-- Bill M. I love my job as a firefighter, but nothing gives me the satisfaction of running my hand over a project that I have built and just finished sanding.

Twice I wandered away from LJ for a while, just distracted by other stuff going on in my life, and twice Rex took the time to contact me, reminding me that I have friends here, and that I should stop by at least to say hi. The third time I wandered off I was again reminded that I have friends here, but this time it was another member telling me the news about Rex’s passing. Thanks Gary, for letting me know.

Even though I never met Rex in person, he had a profound impact on me and how I view many of life’s little complications. He let me know that things will be okay. I am saddened that I never got the chance to meet him in person, but glad to have known him at all. I will never forget Rex and I will never forget one bit of advice he gave me…. “Lighten up, it’s just wood.”

Speaking of meeting my LJ buddies, too bad I couldn’t make it to this get together. But there’s always the next one, and the next, and the next…. Great bunch of photos of a great bunch of wood heads. Thanks for posting this William.